Travel Snacks You'll Want to Bring On Your Next Road Trip

By MyRecipes
Updated June 27, 2018
Sara Tane

It's road trip time. You've packed up the car, filled bags with entertainment to keep the kids busy, and built the perfect playlist—but don't forget the snacks! Avoid making tons of stops on the way by keeping everyone well-fed on the go. Make these treats for a happy and flavorful car ride (minus the gas station bags of chips) with our guide to all things snacking.

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Instant Pot Pumpkin Spice Candied Walnuts

Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Stylist: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin

Instant Pot Pumpkin Spice Candied Walnuts Recipe

Yet another way to enjoy pumpkin spice this season. Gift these to friends as a festive treat, or enjoy them yourself with an autumnal beer. Make sure to use pure maple syrup, as pancake syrup will taste artificial and will likely overwhelm the spiced flavor. 

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S'mores Trail Mix

Credit: Thomas J. Story

S'mores Trail Mix Recipe

The name says it all—now you can enjoy the flavors of the classic campfire treat when you're on the go.

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Seasoned Saltine Crackers

Credit: Greg Dupree

Seasoned Saltine Crackers Recipe

Upgrade leftover saltine crackers with a touch of melted butter and the intense flavor of shichimi togarashi.

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Coconut, Almond, and Goji Bars

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Kira Corbin

Coconut, Almond, and Goji Bars Recipe

These homemade fruit-filled, nutty-flavored bars are perfect for weekend on the road. Packed with antioxidants and superfoods like coconut, almonds, and goji berries, these healthy, portable bars are way better than what you'll find at the store. Make a batch at the beginning of the week and carry this hearty snack around with you to have when you're running low on energy.

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Mini Frittatas with Ham and Cheese

Credit: Randy Mayor; Lydia DeGaris-Pursell

Mini Frittatas with Ham and Cheese Recipe

Bake these bite-sized frittatas in a miniature muffin pan. They taste great hot or at room temperature, so you can make them in advance, pack them up, and enjoy on the go.

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Savory Spiced Shortbreads

Credit: Annabelle Breakey

Savory Spiced Shortbreads Recipe

These buttery, curry-flavored shortbreads are perfect snacks. They are subtly sweet and just a touch spicy.

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Sesame-Soy Nut and Pretzel Mix

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Catherine Crowell Steele; Prop Styling: Thom Driver

Sesame-Soy Nut and Pretzel Mix Recipe

Full of nuts, pretzels, and buttery cereal, our Asian-inspired mix brings plenty of crunch and bold, salty flavor.

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Spicy-Sweet Pecans

Credit: Helen Norman; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Spicy-Sweet Pecans Recipe

These pecans are coated with a unique blend of sweet cinnamon and sugar with savory rosemary, ginger, and red pepper. The egg white helps the spice mixture adhere evenly and gives the pecans a crisp, glossy coating.

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Pecan-Rosemary-Cheddar Buttons

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck

Pecan-Rosemary-Cheddar Buttons Recipe

Pecan-Rosemary-Cheddar Buttons combine nutty pecans and earthy rosemary to create a robust riff on the average Cheddar cheese straw.

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Salted Candied Almonds

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Linda Hirst

Salted Candied Almonds Recipe

These salty and sweet almond treats are easy to make ahead. Just let the mixture cool on parchment paper, and break apart for a quick treat.

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Brown Sugar-Spiced Nut Mix

Credit: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Paige Hicks

Brown Sugar-Spiced Nut Mix Recipe

A bowl of nuts is a coffee table staple, and this sweet-hot crispy mix is perfect for passing around a packed car.

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Double-Chocolate Cereal Treats

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen

Double-Chocolate Cereal Treats Recipe

Skip your boring breakfast and opt for these decadent chocolate-on-chocolate cookies that boast full satisfaction and a dose of whole-grain goodness. Rich, decadent, and ultra-crispy, these healthy, bite-size snacks are the perfect start to the day. And they're ready to eat in a fraction of the time needed to prepare typical sweet treats.

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Boiled Edamame

Credit: James Carrier

Boiled Edamame Recipe

A simple boiled edamame packs a ton of filling protein, and a delicious travel time snack.

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No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen

No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars Recipe

These bars are a perfectly portable snack you can prep on Sunday and enjoy throughout the week. Wrap leftovers tightly in plastic wrap, and store in the fridge. The bars will continue to firm up as they chill.

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Cranberry-Pecan Cheese Wafers

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Cranberry-Pecan Cheese Wafers Recipe

Dried cranberries give a slightly sweet flavor to crispy, buttery Cranberry-Pecan Cheese Wafers.

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Cranberry Oat Bars

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps

Cranberry Oat Bars Recipe

Pass these to the back seat, because kids will love to snack on these oat bars filled with a sweet cranberry mixture.

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Apple-Oat Energy Balls

Credit: Sara Tane

Apple-Oat Energy Balls Recipe

Long road trips have nothing on these tasty, filling snacks. If you don't have almond butter (or have a picky eater in the house), feel free to swap out for peanut butter or your nut butter of choice.

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Crispy Potato Chips

Credit: Alison Miksch; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Crispy Potato Chips Recipe

Slice potatoes as thin as possible for a super-crunchy bite. Then add whatever flavorings you have on hand.

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Crisp and Spicy Snack Mix

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Crisp and Spicy Snack Mix Recipe

A simple blend of your favorite snacks come together with a touch of ginger stir-fry sauce, chili powder, and cumin.

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Togarashi-Spiced Snack Mix

Credit: Greg Dupree

Togarashi-Spiced Snack Mix Recipe

All of those specialty snacks you have tucked away (wasabi peas and shrimp cracker fries) have finally found their home in the ultimate snack mix.

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All-Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Credit: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck; Food Styling: Pam Lolley

All-Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

If chocolate chip cookies are your favorite cookies, whip up a batch of these—they're the best of the best.

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Marshmallow Popcorn Treats with Dark Chocolate Drizzle

Credit: Jason Varney; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Marshmallow Popcorn Treats with Dark Chocolate Drizzle Recipe

Reminiscent of classic popcorn balls, these salty-sweet treats make for awesome low-fat, road trip-friendly snacking. Make a batch with the kids this weekend to enjoy during the ride.

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Cereal and Milk Bars

Credit: Randy Mayor; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford

Cereal and Milk Bars Recipe

These crowd-pleasers deliver flavors that take you straight back to childhood bliss.

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Coconut-Pecan Caramel Popcorn

Credit: Photographer: Gina DeSimone; Prop Stylist: Kashara Johnson; Food Stylist: Briana Riddock

Coconut-Pecan Caramel Popcorn Recipe

With the addition coconut flakes and pecans, this is the amped-up version of your traditional caramel popcorn is all kinds of addictive. Once you make a batch, chances are it will disappear before the day is out—so consider doubling the recipe. The combination of caramel and pecans delivers delicious praline vibes, while the coconut’s subtle chew adds a hint of tropical flavor.

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Peanut Butter-Chocolate Bars

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Kira Corbin

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Bars Recipe

These homemade bars combine peanut butter and chocolate to make a tasty road trip treat.

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Pistachio-Apple Bars with Chia Seeds

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Kira Corbin

Pistachio-Apple Bars with Chia Seeds Recipe

These homemade bars combine fruit and nut flavors to make a tasty snack.

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Spicy, Barely Sweet Supercrunch Granola

Credit: Greg DuPree

Spicy, Barely Sweet Supercrunch Granola Recipe

Our supremely crunchy, irresistible granola tastes like party mix. It stores well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week.

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Chewy Peanut Bars

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Karin Olsen

Chewy Peanut Bars Recipe

These chocolate-peanut blondies truly surprised us. They're cooked in the microwave, and use staple ingredients you probably already have on hand.

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Cheesy Pita Chips

Credit: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Claire Spollen

Cheesy Pita Chips Recipe

Slice pita into wedges and bake away for a crispy crunch. They get a savory topping of manchego cheese and spices for the perfect salty snack.

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Sour Cream & Onion Potato Chips

Credit: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Randy Mon

Sour Cream & Onion Potato Chips Recipe

A delicious blend of powdered buttermilk, garlic powder, sea salt, dried dill, sugar, and onion powder add flavor to simple, baked chips.

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Maple-Pecan Popcorn

Credit: Ryan Benyi; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps

Maple-Pecan Popcorn Recipe

If sweet and salty is your go-to treat, then this one's for you. Popcorn and pecans are drowned in a buttery maple syrup mixture, creating a gooey bite.

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Everything Rugelach with Ricotta and Dill

Credit: Sara Tane

Everything Rugelach with Ricotta and Dill Recipe

Everybody's favorite Jewish cookie gets a savory makeover in this salty, crunchy treat. Perfect for an on-the-road snack, this everything rugelach is the perfect marriage between flaky dough and classic everything bagel toppings. With just four ingredients in the dough, this pastry is super simple and requires little effort or grunt work, as the food processor does all the mixing for you.

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Triple-Berry Muffins

Credit: Photo and Styling: Katelyn Hanley

Triple-Berry Muffins Recipe

Here's a snack muffin you don't have to feel bad about. We opted for canola oil over butter, incorporated 50% white whole-wheat flour, and kept the added sugar low by leaning on the sweetness of ripe summer strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Peaches will be a welcome addition later in the season.

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Almond Joy Candied Bacon